Post-Game Talk: Leafs Dominant in 3-0 Win | Prayers Up for Muzzin

Status
Not open for further replies.

rumman

Registered User
Sep 10, 2008
13,348
9,427
I know this might meet with some resistance, but Clifford set the tone for this game and put Columbus on notice with that monster hit early in the first.
definitely set the tone of the game imo.
 

ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
23,354
21,367
Richmond Hill, ON
In my opinion this series isn't really the playoffs, not until there are 16 teams left then the playoffs start. It's unfortunate that the NHL screwed the Leafs because they were in a playoff spot by 3 points with 10 games left, they'd have to collapse to miss the playoffs, but what can you do?

This is not a playoff round. I want them to beat the team they play next if they get by CBJ. Then we can say that Dubas has taken this team to the next level. No longer can the critics say that this team has regressed under Dubas. Lose to CBJ and the pitch forks will be out.
 

Wafflewhipper

Registered User
Jan 18, 2014
14,114
5,694
Leafs played a near perfect game to even the series at 1's.

They beat CBJ to every puck and won almost ever contested puck battle all night.

Now we have ourselves a series.
What were the possession stats in that game. I don’t even know where or how to look them up because i decided i really don’t want to consume myself with them. It was tilted some bad i know that.
 

leafsfuture

Registered User
Mar 30, 2008
6,134
183
Tavares was a BEAST out there. That is the JT that got nominated for the Hart. Slow as molases, but somehow he always has the puck.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheKule

stickty111

Registered User
Jan 23, 2017
26,557
32,810
Heading into this game I was saying how it's on Keefe to provide the adjustments .. His only real adjustment was flipping Nylander and Marner, and get them a bit more motivated and focused. Seems to have worked for this game.

Good on him. In a short series (as he should know from the AHL), there isn't much rope to "figure it out" so mixing the lines to catch lightning in a bottle can be necessary.
There also seemed to be a systematic adjustment in terms of stretching the neutral zone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dekes For Days

lottster14

Registered User
Feb 10, 2019
3,274
1,913
A shutout for us is huge. Hope Muzzin is okay. Expect the boys to want to keep this level of effort/play even harder next game for him, regardless if he's back or not.
 

ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
23,354
21,367
Richmond Hill, ON
I know this might meet with some resistance, but Clifford set the tone for this game and put Columbus on notice with that monster hit early in the first.

That is what most of us that think the team needs more sandpaper want to see more of. One vivid memory I have of Leaf playoff games is Wendel setting the tone by laying out an opponent to start a game.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Oscar Peterson

rumman

Registered User
Sep 10, 2008
13,348
9,427
funny thought we could question the moves Dubas has made, and still be leaf fans... he is the gm, I cheer for the players on the ice...
kills me when posters say "where are the negative Leaf posts" when the Leafs play a game where there's nothing to complain about, duh.................
 
  • Like
Reactions: ToneDog and rubous

lottster14

Registered User
Feb 10, 2019
3,274
1,913
Leafs should know now they need to start games HARD and score first. Didn't we have a very good record scoring first all season? For our style of play it's huge and bad for CBJ
 
  • Like
Reactions: ToneDog

Wafflewhipper

Registered User
Jan 18, 2014
14,114
5,694
Best Leaf overall performance in years. Total domination. Thats da way I like it. Freddy makes all da saves. Matty goes beast. Tavares plays much better with Willy.

And Mitch played a lot better than game 1. He had some game. It is not an opponent that suits his game but effort was there.

If Muzzy goes down then Dermy can fill in fine for a few games til he is back.

Great coaching from Keefe. I give him all da credit. Engval huge improvement over Goat and it brought Clifford back.
Well get used to it because it was all structure changes Keefe implemented. Thats what was needed. The blow the zone for a stretch pass days are gone but not forgotten as we seen JT pull off. This is a way sounder system. You can’t teach the other team to not collapse back to six goalies. They need to get shots through and knock in some garbage. Lots of fakes to put them down etc. I said before the series started we need to set up the puck behind the net and fake them lots and turn them around in this.
We had teams like this ourselves. Gotta work for everything against them. Hard work is as much about taking good ice and being in position as skating and mucking in the corners.
The first game they didn’t look like they had a clue. Game 2 now that’s figuring it out ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: JT AM da real deal

LeafsOHLRangers98

Registered User
Jun 13, 2017
6,572
6,718
I don't have issue with that call other than the fact that it's so inconsistent. If it were the other way around, I'm almost certain a leaf player would be facing 2 games
Both penalties at the end for us were kind of soft, meanwhile the Jackets got away with a few obvious penalties. Game management at it's finest and unfortunately we likely lost a player for the series because of it.
 

hoglund

Registered User
Dec 8, 2013
5,757
1,256
Canada
Kadri's hit was no worse than Dubois' on Muzzin, I agree with no suspension what is wrong is that Kadri deserved no suspension either.
 

LeafsOHLRangers98

Registered User
Jun 13, 2017
6,572
6,718
Leafs should know now they need to start games HARD and score first. Didn't we have a very good record scoring first all season? For our style of play it's huge and bad for CBJ
Most teams are better off when they score first. Only New Jersey and Detroit had losing records when they scored the first goal.
 

Community

44 is Rielly good
Oct 30, 2010
6,765
1,664
The Darkest Timeline
There also seemed to be a systematic adjustment in terms of stretching the neutral zone.

I saw multiple times a player on the opponents blueline would come back to the red line (usually in the centre of the ice) to accept a pass and quickly move it to a player streaking up the ice.

It caused the defending players to stretch up the ice and then cause 1 or 2 players to be standing still/going thr wrong way for the transition and helped unclog the neutral zone a bit.

Im not sure if it was a set play or just a breakout player coming back to help, but either way there was obviously a message on all players making themselves available for the transtion and moving yourself/the puck a bit quicker. Tranaitions were pretty beautiful for 90% of that game.
 

Mess

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
86,912
11,862
Leafs Home Board
This is not a playoff round. I want them to beat the team they play next if they get by CBJ. Then we can say that Dubas has taken this team to the next level. No longer can the critics say that this team has regressed under Dubas. Lose to CBJ and the pitch forks will be out.

Well the NHL has labelled them "Stanley Cup Qualifiers" as in the winners qualify for the playoffs and advance to round #1 officially to compete with the usual 16 teams.

The official NHL site even has a playoff pool bracket with prizes that only includes the 16 playoff teams for predictions that excludes this play-in round (which is only a substitute for 12 missing games of the regular season).

Even if this series went the full 5 games for the Leafs to win, they will have only played 75 games of a normal 82 game regular season. Had there not been a pandemic they would have played more games before the playoffs even began.

Leafs have lost 3 straight years in round #1 of the playoffs, so improvement on past results officially would be to make it to round #2 (something that hasn't happened since 2004). If the Leafs advance past CBJ and lose in the 1st round the official NHL record will again be recorded as lost in round #1.

So it seems pretty straight forward to record progress what needs to happen. IMO
 
  • Like
Reactions: ToneDog

Morbo

The Annihilator
Jan 14, 2003
27,100
5,734
Toronto
there have been some interesting developments from the first two games:

-the soft inept cowering Leaf defence that Columbus were going to shred with their incredible death star forecheck has allowed precisely one laugher on Freddy in 6 periods of hockey. Fred spent most of game 2 sipping gatorade

-the unbelievably intimidating physical play of the Jackets, surely more than the pathetic soft Leafs could handle, has had little impact on Toronto besides a fluke fall hurting Muzzin.

-Auston Matthews is showing himself to be a playoff stud even against incredibly hard teams to score on.

-Robertson has absolutely been thrown into the deep end here, and you know what, he's done alright. Kid is a future top 6 forward without a doubt.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->